I am not the family bibliophile. That would be my sister Carlie over at Librarilly Blonde. Although you can easily spot me reading on a bus in Los Angeles, I’ve always had an eye for the visual in addition to text. Maybe that’s why I work in television and she’s the librarian.

My passion for manga blossomed several years back from my love for anime and generally anything Japanese . . . except sushi. I hate fish. Anyway, I didn’t have a lot of money when I started my adult life in L.A., so I would hide my growing manga collection way back on the shelf so my boyfriend of the time wouldn’t notice. I just couldn’t repress my obsession, and yet . . . I wanted so much more! Over the last couple of years, I’ve been pushing the promotion of anime and manga at my network as well as through various websites, knowing that I could be a voice for the otaku. We’re not just a bunch of overweight slobs living in our parents’ basements playing World of Warcraft and eating Hot Pockets all day.

Just like in any other medium, there are plenty of wonderful reads with beautiful art out there. Manga should be embraced equally, not shunned or stigmatized as a nerd-only hobby. I mean, holy cow! I’m a cute girl and I love this stuff!